A Texas woman died Friday afternoon after being hit by a non-impaired driver who was taking a breathalyzer test while operating his vehicle.
Alexis Butler, 18, was backing her car out of a driveway on Nov. 10 when the passenger side of her car was hit by a pickup truck, KXAS reported.
An investigation by the Arlington Police Department didn’t find any track marks from the 31-year-old unidentified driver on the road that would indicate he tried to stop the car.
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The driver reportedly told police that he couldn't see Butler’s car because his eyes were off the road while performing a breathalyzer test on a court-ordered device “for three to four seconds.” Police said he was non-impaired at the time.
The ignition interlock device prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver is found to have been drinking.
“Number one thing we’ll look at is tracking down the original court order to read exactly what it said,” Lt. Chris Cook told KXAS. “And more importantly for us, as a police department, is to determine what the manufacturer recommendation is as far as the guidelines in how to operate this type of equipment.
“It’s very concerning to us, as a police department, that an individual may be operating some type of ignition equipment while they’re in a moving vehicle,” Cook said.
Butler’s family told KXAS the 18-year-old was “large than life” and that “everyone loved” her.
“She was larger than life - everyone loved Lexxy - Her laugh, her smile, her bubbly personality,” Butler’s family said. “She touched so many people’s lives in just her short 18 years, more than most will touch in a lifetime.”
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The department, according to KXAS, said even though the driver hadn’t been drinking, he could still be charged.
Authorities are planning a reconstruction of the crash, as well as a review of the data recorder, in order to investigate further.
tggrinc1st on November 20th, 2017 at 05:24 UTC »
TIL - That breathalyzers in cars also have to be checked while the car is in motion. (doesnt seem like a good idea)
EDIT: Since my comment above I have learned a lot about how the breathalyzer is used. Here is what has been passed on to me by other users that do know how they work. In regards to the op, remember that we don't know the model that was in use at the time of the accident.
The unit comes with a device that resembles a vaper. The driver does not have to lower their face to use it. It is connected to a cord or wire and can be raised to the drivers face. The unit can be set to recheck the driver every 5-30 minutes. (We assume at the courts discretion. Someone said it was random.) The unit gives the driver several minutes to perform the test. (Someone disputed this) The driver gets several attempts to get it right. The driver is supposed to pull over for each test. The unit does not shut the car off while driving if the driver fails the test. It flashes the lights and honks the horn. (Some people said you had to blow clean to reset it. Others said you had to call someone with a credit card.) There may, or may not, be a dash camera installed with the device to photograph the user when the device is used.NotManicJustHappy on November 20th, 2017 at 04:52 UTC »
Step brother had one of these. Not only did you have to blow at regular intervals or have your vehicle shut down, but it was really finicky and he often had to retry two or three times before it would work/accept his attempt.
MidnightExcursion on November 20th, 2017 at 03:59 UTC »
That's an incredibly bad idea if the device makes someone use it while they are already driving.